Vascular Reactivity in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Pilot Study in Synovectomized and Non-Synovectomized Knee Joints

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Abstract
Summary A pilot study was performed on the effect of a vasoactive drug — isoxysuprenaline (Duvadilan®) — on knee joint circulation (registered as tissue temperature) in 22 cases of rheumatoid arthritis. It was found that it is possible to increase joint tissue circulation appreciably even after a single parenteral dose of this drug. Short-term administration per os (5 days) resulted in a change in caloric response from pathologic to normal in 3 out of 7 cases. When the drug was tested on 10 cases, who had had knee joint synovectomies it was found that the effect was significantly better on the synovectomized side, 9 out of 10 showing increase in circulation. The effect of the drug was compared to that of nerve block by local anesthetics. The biologic interpretation of these preliminary results is discussed and further studies on the basis of this preliminary investigation are suggested. Isoxysuprenaline thus can be used both diagnostically to test vascular reactivity of mesenchymal tissues in rheumatoid arthritis in order to elucidate the circulatory conditions, as well as therapeutically in order to increase local tissue circulation, thereby favourably influencing the vicious circle of tissue injury, manifested by microvascular pathology and characteristic of the disease.